The USG Open Source Center translates an article from the Persian press about Qasim Suleimani, the head of the Jerusalem (Qods) Brigade of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps. In it, Suleimani says that the fruitless Iraq War and the War on Terror were costly failures for the United States. In their wake, he says, the old Middle East status quo has been pulled down by the Arab Spring and Islamic movements are coming to power that have more in common with Iran than they do with the United States.
“Iran: Quds Force Commander Alleges US Ineffectiveness in Entire Middle East
Unattributed report: “The Commander of Qods Force: Today, Several Great Irans Have Emerged in the Region”
Qods Online
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Document Type: OSC Translated Text…
The Commander of Qods Force: Today, Several Great Irans Have Emerged in the Region
In response to the threat of terrorism by American officials, the commander of the Qods Force of the Guard Corps of the Islamic Revolution (Sepah-e Pasdaran-e Enqelab-e Eslami) said: This is not a threat; it is rallying and enthusiasm in response to persons who think that these threats will overcome us with fear. I say, Oh God, grant me martyrdom on Your path by the hand of the enemies of Your religion. Fars (News Agency ) reports that Maj. Gen. Commander Haj Qasem Soleymani said: When Imam Khomeyni says in his last will and testament, May my life be sacrificed for my people, as a trivial soldier, what could be the value of my life?…
Some time ago, a number of American officials in a meeting officially and openly suggested that some of the Iranian officials, such as Commander Soleymani, should be assassinated in a clandestine operation.
A member of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies had said about Commander Qasem Soleymani: Go and try to either arrest him or kill him.
Threatening Iran Is Foolish
In the continuation of his speech, stating that threat[en]ing the Iranian people is foolish, the commander of the Qods Force of the Guard Corps of the Islamic Revolution said: Today, several great Irans have emerged in the region; and Libya, Yemen, and Bahrain are other Irans.
Major General Soleymani said: That which we are witnessing today in the fourth decade of the Islamic Revolution is a global earthquake that is shifting the political structures in the world.
He explained: That which has happened in our region today or is happening has been unprecedented in the past 200 years; and it will happen in the future beyond our region.
Stating that that which has happened or is happening is certainly considered a new foundation for the world today and the world in the future, Soleymani said: This foundation is undoubtedly different from that which the world devourers, that is, United States and the West, have imposed on our region and the Islamic world over the course of 100 years.
Pointing out the reasons and motivations that cause the threats by the United States and the anger of its officials, he said: They display their anger in different places without anything having happened in the world and any incident having occurred around them; they are extremely angry and worried, and they utter nonsensical statements.
Soleymani added: That which has happened in our region in the past 10 years is considered an almost unprecedented war in the world; because a war without enemies was clear and did not have an enemy (as published).
He said: Without any invasion or threat having existed against the West and the United States, they brought about and instigated a war on our region; and the United States, this frightful multi-headed serpent, came out of its nest and entered the Middle East and the boundaries of the Islamic world.
This memento of the time of the sacred defense said: The United States instigated a war that has no specific boundaries, and no government or military was facing it.
3 Trillion Dollars in War Expenditures for the Americans
Stating that the United States brought more than 2.52 million soldiers into the Middle East region over the course of the past 10 years at various times and under hollow pretexts in the name of fighting terrorism, Soleymani said: Their target consisted of the nations, the culture, and the ideals of the Muslim people of the region. He added: They brought into the region tens of thousands of armored vehicles and thousands of airplanes and helicopters, and they spent $3 trillion on these wars, imposing four important wars on the region.
Pointing out that these wars were strange, Soleymani said: In none of the wars that occurred in Iraq, Afghanistan, Lebanon, and Palestine did any government or military confront their attacks, only the people.
Stating that the United States imposed a costly and heavy war on the region, he added: They made use of laws that they had fabricated through their own channels in the world in the name of human rights and (fighting) terrorism, and they forced the governments and countries to cooperate with them.
Referring to the fear that the United States imposed on the world, Soleymani said: We have never witnessed such fear and terror that the United States imposed throughout the world.
He said: They attacked important, peaceful centers that had no military or security features, including such cultural targets as mosques, families, universities, clerics, and religious scholars.
Soleymani said: According to statistics available to us, more than 2 million human beings have been killed and wounded in these 10 years, and 10,000 people have been disabled, who now live in the world without eyes, arms, legs, and limbs.
Addressing the Americans, the commander of the Qods Force of the Guard Corps of the Islamic Revolution explained: The people of Iraq today are celebrating your departure and, as you say yourself, they kicked you out of Iraq.
With Which Record Does the United States Threaten the Middle East?
Posing the question, “With which record does the United States threaten the Middle East?” he said: Does the United States have the ability to launch an attack through further military expeditions or with higher capabilities than those that have brought it to bankruptcy? Is it able to do so?
This memento of the time of the sacred defense, referring to the heavy costs and frequent defeats of the Americans in various parts of the world, including the Middle East, added: The result of all your miscalculated costs is the protest of 99% of the American people against you, the 1%. How can you possibly carry out these threats?
Referring to all the studies and opinion polls that the Americans have conducted over the past seven or eight years, he added: In all the Islamic countries in which your hand-trained persons were ruling and acted based on your policies as well as in the countries in the region and outside the region, the percentage of those who hate the United States is 85%; and about 90% of the people hate you, opposed you, and did not agree with you and your policies.
All of These “Awakenings” Are “Islamic”
Stating that an increase in religious awareness has been created in the region, Soleymani said: You are trying to interpret these movements as a social awakening; but this “awakening” is “Islamic.” This notion was clear in all these movements; and the same is proven today. He said: These movements began in mosques and ended in congregational prayers in the squares, similar to the movement in our Revolution. The Islamic Forces in Egypt and Yemen Are the Winners in the Elections
Stating, no political party other than the Islamic party and Rashid al-Ghannushi existed in Tunis that you kicked out, Major General Soleymani said: But al-Ghannushi returned from exile; and, contrary to all your efforts, the Islamic party became of interest to the people and gained more than 50% of their votes.
Emphasizing that this will also happen in Egypt, he said: More than 80% of the future government and parliament of Egypt will go to Muslims.
Pointing out that the United States is trying to make Egypt, similar to Iraq, become entangled in ethnic and sectarian conflicts, Soleymani added: Contrary to all these efforts, the Islamic forces will be the winners of the elections in Egypt and Yemen. This is foreseeable and does not require much intelligence.”
(Description of Source: Mashhad Qods Online in Persian — website of conservative Mashhad daily published by the Qods Cultural Foundation of the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza (Astan-e Qods-e Razavi); URL: http://www.qudsdaily.com)
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